Trinity
by Jenna Cassie Herdz
Summary: Three years on UV1 has made Fisher restless and praying for action. He soon finds it when he attempts to save a girl from mercs but ends up getting himself pinched and taken to an 'old friend' of Deirdras. Can she and Riddick save him before its too late?
1. Taking Initiative

**A/N:** Welcome fans, to the third installment of the Riddick/Deirdra Saga! for newcomers, first read Lord Marshal Riddick and Ursa Luna in that order. for the rest of you, i'm glad you've returned for more Riddick, Deirdra and now Fisher! and now, wihout further guilding the lily...the first chappie! enjoy!

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_**Chapter 1: Taking Initiative**_

She awoke to being shaken, almost violently. She groaned her protest and turned into the body and arms holding onto her, pulling a fur blanket up a little more over her shoulder.

"Dee!" a teenage voice starting to deepen in pitch whispered harshly. "Come on! It's hardly snowing now! It's time for a hunt! Get him up and moving!"

"Oh, shut it, Fish," she groaned, her voice raw from sleep. "It's too early for this. Go back to sleep."

"I can't!" the boy of sixteen replied, his head shaven, his brown eyes sparkling with impatience as he bounced on his heels where he crouched in front of the sleeping couple. "He said he'd take me on my first hunt today! I'm ready!"

"All the more reason you should get some more sleep," she grumbled, starting to drift back into dreamland herself. "You go out with _him_, you go out most of the day hunting. Just _try_ to sleep, please?"

"Oh, come on!" he growled softly, reaching for her shoulder and shaking it again. There was a low growl from the man lying with her and a large hand came up to swat the boy's hand away.

"Go to sleep, brat," he rumbled, rolling over onto his side, his arm around her waist and pulling her with him. She gave out a giggle as her shoulder length strawberry red hair fell in her face and she snuggled against his chest to sleep again.

"But-"

"Go to sleep before I shiv you," the large man rumbled, never opening his eyes and the boy sighed in defeat as he sat back onto his rear.

The three had been on UV 1 for three years now. Fisher had been twelve when Riddick and Deirdra picked him up on Kalos, and now he was sixteen and itching for some action. He'd always been cooped up with Deirdra when Riddick went out on hunts, and when the man had finally decided he would take the teen with him, it was all Fisher could do to keep from wetting himself in excitement.

Glancing over the now sleeping couple, he eyed the weather outside. A morning snow storm was blowing, but he'd seen worse. It was dark, almost like night outside, but that was typical. It had always been that dark, as if the sun was setting all day. Glancing back at the couple he bit the corner of his lip, forming a plan. If they didn't want to get their asses up and help him, he'd go hunting _himself_.

Over the years, he'd gotten impulsive and reckless, but most of the time Deirdra and Riddick kept him in line. _This_ time, the two were fast asleep, and the more he thought about it, the more he convinced himself that his stupid idea was actually a pretty good one. Standing and silently treading to the other side of the cave, Fisher pulled a thick, wool coat from his pile of furs he called a bed and taking one last glance at the sleeping couple, he turned to the entrance of the cave, pulled his Riddick-like goggles over his eyes to protect them from the wind and snow, and trudged into the storm, his own pair of shivs on his belt.

Just as he stepped out, Deirdra stirred again and frowned as she looked up and around the cave, sensing something was wrong. She sat up on her elbow to look over Riddick and noticed Fisher wasn't in his makeshift bed and neither was his coat. His shivs were missing as well from the pile of knives, shivs and belts that lay in another corner of the cave. Instantly awake, Deirdra shook Riddick's shoulder frantically, her eyes wide and shooting around the cave, fearing the worst.

"Tell that damn kid to go to sleep," Riddick groaned, turning away from her but she grabbed his shoulder and pulled him onto his back to stare down at him just as he opened his eyes to reveal shining pools of tired silver.

"He's gone," was all she had to say and Riddick sat up, now awake.

He shot his gaze around the cave, then toward the entrance of the cave. He sat there for a moment, Deirdra sitting with him, wondering what he was going to do and waiting for instruction. Another moment went by before he growled and flopped back down in the pile of furs they were laying on, pulling one over himself. Deirdra frowned, still sitting up and stared wide eyes of disbelief at him.

"What the hell are you doing?" she spat.

"Going back to sleep," he replied, tiredly.

"Do you not realize that our-!"

"Don't you _dare_ say it," Riddick snapped, his shining eyes glaring at her as he sat up again to look her straight in the eyes. "He's _not_ our son. Get that through your head, Girl. I'm tired of having to correct you all the damn time. He wants to get himself killed? Let him. It ain't _our_ responsibility."

"He's just a child, Riddick," Deirdra replied. "Even if he's not our son, he's just a kid who doesn't know any better."

"Goddammit, Girl! I'm sick and tired of you always saying he doesn't know any better!" Riddick roared, standing completely, now unable to sleep because he was so angry. "He _does_ know better! He's a smart kid, I've seen it, but for whatever reason he won't _use_ those goddamn smarts! I'm sick of it!"

He marched to the other side of the cave and sat against the wall, trying to use the cold of the stone to cool his temper. Deirdra stared at him for a moment then looked outside again.

It was true that for the three years they'd been there, she was always saying Fisher didn't know better, but she always knew he did. Riddick saw it too, and they were constantly fighting over things the boy had done, and no matter who was right or wrong, Deirdra would always stick up for Fisher as if he were her own son. She had even slipped a few times saying that he _was_ their son, which made Riddick even more angry.

Making up her mind, Deirdra stood and dressed as Riddick stayed in his place, watching her. Dawning a long sleeved, black turtle-neck, brown cargo pants, black combat boots and a thick wool coat she walked toward the pile of weapons in the corner. Rummaging through the pile to find her own weapons, she picked up her belt with a knife, and two more shivs which she stuck in her boots, her own pair of Riddick-like goggles around her neck. She marched toward the entrance, stepping over Riddick's out-stretched legs as he didn't move from his spot.

"Where the hell do you think you're going?" he growled in a menacingly low tone, but she continued toward the entrance, pulling her goggles over her eyes.

"I'm going after him," she replied, simply. "_Someone_ has to. He's never been out in anything like this. And besides…" She stopped to look over her shoulder at him as he still sat, "if I recall correctly, he's _my_ responsibility, right? That day we picked him up he came with _me_, not you."

With that, she marched into the storm, pulling her coat a little tighter around her. Riddick watched her figure disappear into the snow and snarled, loudly, "I hope you _both_ get ghosted! I hope a goddamn merc lands ghosts your sorry asses!"

He slouched against the wall and crossed his arms over his chest. He didn't mean it, of course, and he knew it wouldn't happen. In the time they'd been there not one ship had flown by. The ship they'd come in hadn't even picked up anything on the sensors. They were pretty safe from mercs and feds out here, it was everything _else_ on the planet they had to worry about.

The creatures there were huge, and had senses like you wouldn't believe. They were even better than Riddick's. They could see in the dark like it was day, and they could smell, hear and see anything coming at them for miles. They stood as tall as two story buildings…on all fours, and came in colors of brown, white and black. Their claws were razor sharp and could cut through rock as if it were pudding. They were more cat-like than any other animal, and Riddick had scars from the many times they'd _almost_ gotten the best of him.

That was the thought that made him growl and stand to get dressed and ready to head out of the cave. If they had nearly bested _him_, they were going to _slaughter_ Deirdra and Fisher. Pulling on a black tank-top, his combat boots and what was left in the pile of weapons, he pulled his goggles onto his forehead but not over his eyes and trudged out of the cave.

"Damn Girl left while we were fighting!" he snarled at himself, trying to convince himself that was the reason he was going after them. "She oughtta know better than to leave without letting me screw her first!"

The truth was he knew he was going after them because he cared. Whether he liked it or not, he cared about both of them. Even that hot-headed teenage boy he secretly wished was his real son.

* * *

_Outside..._

Fisher tried to fight the chattering of his teeth against the cold. He hated the cold. That was the only thing he hated about this planet was the climate. Kalos was warm most of the time, and he liked it that way. He glanced around, trudging through the snow, part of him telling him to turn back but his ego wouldn't let him without something to show for it; some game of any kind that could feed them at least a week.

His sense was starting to weigh in on this 'smart' idea he'd come up with and didn't really think about clearly before he left the cave. It was telling him he was stupid for even _thinking_ of leaving the cave without Riddick or Deirdra. He had to agree, it was looking pretty bleak, but his ego was still telling him not to go back empty handed. Just stop for a moment and wait out the storm.

He trudged through the snow, fighting the wind that was shoving him back. He looked around, squinting behind his goggles through the white all around him. Ahead of him he discerned a dark, half circle shape and sighed in relief. He fought against the wind toward the cave and once there he leaned against the wall and sighed again, letting his weary frame slide down the wall to sit on the floor.

"I'll just rest here for a while," he panted, pulling his goggles up to rest them on his forehead. He pulled out one of his shivs from his belt and twirled it, the sharp tip resting against the tip of his index finger as he held the handle in the other hand. It didn't take long for him to get bored, and as the wind howled outside, he wished he had somebody there with him to pass the time with. Maybe a _female_ somebody?

"Yeah, right," he scoffed, leaning his head back on the wall with a smirk. "Like _that's_ gonna happen if you stay on this rock, genius. You'll be _lucky_ if you find a girl _here_."

A faint cry came from inside the cave, making him jump to his feet and turn into it. What he would have given to have Riddick's night vision at that moment. The sound was coming closer and it sounded like running footsteps. Frowning but holding his battle stance he strained his ears and eyes to see and hear what was coming. He heard panting, frantic footsteps, then a slip of something slippery, followed by a cry and a thud.

"Shit!" a voice hissed, making his frown deepen. The footsteps resumed along with the breathing, and he was nearly floored by a _female_ voice growling, "Damn mercs ain't slavin' _me_ out! I'd rather stay on this ice cube of a planet than-!"

It was then that she came into Fisher's view. They stood a few feet away from each other as she stopped, her sky blue eyes wide as she stared at him through a few strands of dirty blonde hair that fell around her shoulders in a tangled, curly mess. She couldn't have been more than his age and as they continued to stare at each other, he swallowed, feeling his heart thud in his chest. Her clothes may have been rags, and she may have been caked in dirt, but he could still tell she was a cute looking thing. It made him feel uneasy about _his_ appearance.

"Goddammit! Why didn't you tie her up?"

The girl whirled around, broken from the trance at the angry shout, then turned back to Fisher and ran to him as he stood still, staring at her. She lifted his hand with the shiv and pressed it to her throat.

"Kill me!" she whispered and Fisher's eyes widened.

"What?" he hissed in confusion.

"I'd rather be dead than let them slave me out!" the girl replied, near tears. "Kill me!"

Fisher shook his head, pulling the shiv down and glanced to the darkness of the cave that obviously had an exit somewhere as he heard multiple footsteps heading toward them. He looked down at the girl again and pulled him behind her as she latched onto his arm.

"I'll protect you," he murmured, taking his fighting stance again and not being able to help smirking. He wanted action, and he was about to get some. He couldn't believe his 'fortune.' The girl didn't reply as she stayed behind him, peering around him just enough to see two mercs with gages come into view, and Fisher stiffened, maintaining his stance.

"There she is," one merc stated the obvious as they trotted to a stop a yard or two away from Fisher and the girl.

"Well, well," the other merc smirked, smugly. "Didn't think there were any natives on this ice hell." He held out a hand and beckoned him, saying, "Hand over the girl and we might leave you alive, kid."

"You want her, you'll have to go through me and my shivs," Fisher growled as the girl shook her head violently.

"Ooh, we've got a live one," the other merc smirked, pulling his gage up at Fisher. "Say goodnight then, kid."

"Wait, you idiot!" the other merc shouted, but his buddy pulled the trigger before he could throw off the gage's aim and Fisher grabbed the girl behind him to shove her out of the way, ducking out of the way himself to dodge the gage's fire.

"Don't hit the merchandise, meathead!"

"I wasn't gonna!"

The two mercs looked back at Fisher as he roared and ran at them, now with both his shivs in hand and he passed between them faster than they could blink, slicing their throats. The mercs fell to the ground, dead and bleeding as Fisher stopped, turned to them and slid his shivs back into his belt, the girl sitting at the entrance of the cave and staring on at the scene with wide eyes. He hurried back to her and pulled her up by the arm.

"Let's go," he suggested, pulling off his coat and wrapping it around her. He could take the cold for a little while. He pulled his goggles over his eyes and pulled her under his arm, feeling his heart skip when she fisted his black shirt so as not to lose him.

He led her into the snow storm which was dying down and he thanked the heavens for that. At least now he could see a little better to get her back to the cave with Deirdra and Riddick. He just hoped Riddick wouldn't try to ghost this poor girl just because she had been running from mercs.

That was one thing he let himself think on as he held tight to the mystery girl. Mercs didn't usually land here for _anything_, so why were they here now, and with cargo in the form of women?

"Damn! These guys are wasted!"

Fisher suddenly quickened his pace at hearing another gruff voice behind him in the cave.

"There she goes!"

"Shit!" Fisher hissed, but before he could stop them and shove her behind him, he felt something hit his back, making him shout in agony.

"No!" the girl shouted as Fisher fell to the ground, but her cry was followed by her own shout of pain and she hit the ground as well, both passing out from an instant knock out drug in the darts they'd been shot with.

* * *

_Meanwhile..._

"Fisher!" Deirdra called, the storm now completely spent. She'd been looking for him for an hour now, but she knew he couldn't have gotten very far. "Fisher! Fish-!"

She gave a smothered squeak when a hand covered her mouth and pulled her into the cave she was passing. She slammed against a broad chest with a muffled grunt and looked up over her shoulder into a pair of shining, silver eyes, his hand still over her mouth.

"Be quiet," Riddick ordered as she pulled his hand away from her face and she glared at him.

"Decided to come along, did you?" she teased, but he only set his jaw and held a finger over his lips, firmly telling her silently to be quiet again.

He grabbed her hand and led her deeper into the cave as she frowned. They were soon enveloped in darkness and she was tripping behind him as he marched on. She was soon tripping up an incline and finally saw a small shaft of faint light up ahead. Once they reached the light, Riddick shoved her onto her stomach as he leaned next to her, staring outside.

The opening of the cave led to a plateau of snow, cut off after a mile or so by a cliff that led to a frozen river. They were now staring at a ship sitting on the plateau, a ship that looked a lot like a merc cargo ship.

Deirdra pulled a knife from her belt, eyeing the mercs outside the ship and she moved to stand and charge them but Riddick placed a firm hand on the wrist that held the knife. She looked at him with a frown of confusion and he only stared ahead, answering her silent question with a nod that she look ahead as well. She shot her gaze ahead and stifled a gasp when she saw a line of people, all in chains, being led into the ship…one of them being Fisher.

His hands were chained up behind his back and he was yanking his arm from the merc trying to hold it and shove him into the ship. He turned and growled at the merc, but the merc only kicked him in the stomach just as they reached the top of the gangplank. Deirdra was again trying to scramble to her feet, but Riddick swiftly threw an arm around her to grab her arms and use his weight to hold her down on the stone below them.

Unfortunately, she began struggling and the scuffle caused some loose ice and iced rocks to tumble down the incline they were leaning on. The pattering noises echoed in the hollow of the cave and just as the mercs standing outside turned to look at what made the noise, Riddick slapped his hand over Deirdra's mouth and wrapped his arm around her, pinning her arms down and he sunk them both down the incline, enough to be out of sight.

Deirdra still struggled slightly, tears forming in her eyes, wanting to help Fisher more than anything, and willing to risk her life at that moment. Riddick pulled her closer and she eventually gave up on struggling against his strength, sobbing silently into his hands and letting her tears flow freely.

"Alright, let's get off this rock," they heard one of the mercs call. "These guys need to be at Lord Olmstead's _yesterday_."

Riddick frowned as he watched the mercs trail into the cargo ship and the hatch sealed as he still held Deirdra, now limp in his arms. He pulled his hand away from Deirdra's mouth to hear her shudder, sob, sniffle and cough, but he watched the merc ship lift off and shoot off into the sky.

"They're gone," he reported, sliding his arms from around Deirdra.

She spun around to pound her fists against his chest. It caught him off guard and he gave a grunt when the first punch landed harder than he thought it would. The next punch landed on his gut and he saw the wind-up when her leg flew back and was about to connect with his groin, but he crossed his wrists at her ankle, stopping it just before it hit him.

"You don't want to do that, Girl," he murmured, lowly as he looked up at her, meeting her burning, chocolate gaze.

"Oh, yes I do," she snapped through clenched teeth. "Then you'd know how I feel! Fisher was being taken by mercs and you just _sat_ here! What the hell is going through that goddamn head of yours?"

"What's going through _yours_?" he retorted, shoving her foot away from him and making her slip slightly on the stone they were still leaning against. "What the shit were you gonna do? Take them _all_ on?"

"There weren't that many!" she argued. "What? Getting too _old_ for a good fight, Riddick? Between you and me we could have taken them all out!"

"Sometimes, the best thing to do is surrender," he replied, ignoring her 'old' comment. They _both_ knew he could throw down anybody, even if he was a little older.

"Oh, like the time we ended up in Ursa Luna?" Deirdra shot back, still seething. "He won't survive in a slam, Riddick!"

"He's not _going_ to a slam," he reported.

"How the hell do you know that?" she spat.

"The merc said they were going to some guy named Lord Olmstead," Riddick replied. "Weren't you listening?"

"No!" she admitted, in a shout. "I was too busy crying at the fact that our son was being taken by mercs!"

"The next time you say he's _our_ son, I'm gonna bitch slap you so hard, that wind woman who pushed you on me is gonna feel it!" Riddick snarled. "He _ain't_ our kid!"

"Keep telling yourself that, Riddick," Deirdra replied lowly, suddenly calm. "But no matter what you say, he's like a son to me, and you can't change that. I'm going after him."

"Like hell you are," Riddick ground out as she started sliding herself down the incline, ignoring him.

He quickly went after her and when they reached the end of the incline he ran after her and grabbed her arm to pull her toward him. She stared into his shining eyes, the only things she could see in the pitch black darkness, and he stared back at her.

"He wanted some action," he snapped. "He wanted to be stupid and head out without one of us, unprepared for anything _else_ he could run into out there and without knowing where the hell he was going, and this is what he gets. It's a hard lesson he's gonna learn, but he's gonna learn it now, whether he likes it or not."

Shoving her as he let her go he headed back to the entrance of the cave as Deirdra stayed where she was, facing the sound of his footsteps. She glared at the place where she estimated his back was, and knowing what she was thinking of saying would probably get her killed, she said it anyway.

"You'd let him end up like _her_?"

His footsteps stopped. There was silence for a few moments, and before she even registered that he was moving again, she felt cold metal against her neck, but she didn't move, or gasp, or even flinch. She had seen that coming.

"What the shit did you just say?" he growled, menacingly.

"I believe you heard me," she retorted, unafraid of his tone or the fact that his blade was now starting to move up just a little on her neck.

"I wouldn't hesitate to cut your throat, Deirdra," he growled, and she knew he'd stepped closer to loom over her by the fan of his hot breath over her face. "_She_ went and signed up with the goddamn mercs. This kid just got himself pinched. He ain't exactly helpless. And I swear, if you _ever_ mention that again, I'll slit your throat faster than you can blink. You know I can."

"You _can_," she admitted. "But you _won't_."

"I've done it before," he growled, not moving the knife from her neck.

"You've killed a woman you were in love with?" she wondered, lifting her hands to rest it on his hand, still at her neck. "With your bare hands?"

"Don't test me," he growled, warningly as he felt her fingers gently wrap around his hand.

"You're not answering my question," she retorted, pulling the knife from her neck and lowering her chin. Knowing he could see her in the dark she ran her tongue carefully over the blade in front of her. Riddick couldn't believe how quickly his pants suddenly tightened. "Have you killed a woman you're in love with?"

"No," he finally admitted and Deirdra lowered the knife to step completely in front of him.

"Then you won't kill _me_," she smiled triumphantly, running her hands up his chest.

"If you mention _her_ again the way you just did," he began, gripping one of her wrists and spinning her around to hold his knife at her neck again from behind this time and finished against her ear, "I just might."

"Quit with the foreplay so we can go get Fisher," she muttered.

That earned her a shove as Riddick pulled his shiv away from her neck and walked toward the entrance of the cave again.

"You're on your own with that one," he replied and she spun around and glared at him before running after him. She was about to tackle him but he spun around just in time to move and grab her hand, pull her back toward him and plant his lips to hers. After kissing her deeply, he grumbled, "You're not gonna let this go, are you?"

"Never," she replied, breathless from his kiss. "He may not be our son, but he's always been like one to me."

Riddick sighed, letting her go as she stared up at him, waiting for his answer.

"Fine," he growled and shoved past her and out of the cave. "Let's get what we'll need and get to the ship."

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**A/N:** and there it is! intrigued yet? lol! reviews?


	2. Kidnapped

**A/N:** new chappie! enjoy!

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_**Chapter 2: Kidnapped**_

Fisher struggled as one of the many mercs in the cargo ship chained him to a chair, the chain connecting his wrists around the arm of chair, his legs spread and a chain wrapped around each ankle and leg of the chair he was in to keep him secure. A few times before they'd gotten his feet down he managed to kick one of the mercs in the chest, sending him to the ground, but another merc came up and shoved his gage to Fisher's forehead, making him stop for a moment. Once the mercs were sure of his bonds they walked away and Fisher saw another merc shove the girl he'd just met into the chair across from him.

"Leave her alone!" Fisher snarled, struggling to break his chains, but it did no use. He wasn't Riddick.

The merc that had shoved the girl into her seat looked over at Fisher with an evil smirk and asked, "This your girl, boy? That why you tried saving her back there?"

"No," he replied, "she ain't my girl. I was trying to save her because all you mercs are ass-kissin', goddamn assholes!"

That earned him a kick in the gut, which made him grunt and the girl across from him gasped as another merc came up and chained her to her chair. Fisher coughed and glared up at the merc in front of him. His glare must have been penetrating, because the merc took an involuntary step back, a look of sheer terror on his face.

"H-Hey, Jared?" the merc called still looking at Fisher, the boy's his upper lip starting to curl in sneer, his glare turning predatory. "W-What was the name of that guy that took out Toombs and his brother?"

"Riddick?" the merc chaining the girl to her seat replied. "What about him?"

"Look at this kid's face and tell me you don't see that asshole," the merc said, not taking his terrified gaze from Fisher.

The other merc, Jared, turned to Fisher as well when he had finished chaining the girl to her chair. Jared's eyes popped and he, too, took a step back, involuntarily.

"Holy shit," he breathed as Fisher glared on at the men. The girl sitting across from him looked around the merc and gave a small gasp at the look on Fisher's face. "Hey, kid, is Riddick your brother or somethin'?"

Fisher stayed silent. He wasn't about to tell _mercs_ that he knew Riddick. They'd go after him and Deirdra, and as long as he was still breathing, he would _not_ betray the people he considered family.

"Answer the question, ya dumb shit!" the nameless merc snarled, using the butt of his gage to hit Fisher in the jaw.

"Leave him alone!" the girl cried.

That earned her a back-hand from Jared, and when Fisher heard the slap, followed by her cry of pain he let out a long, low growl that rumbled in his chest. The mercs froze and looked at him with wide eyes, surprised that the sound had come from a teenage boy that looked like a twig.

"Touch her again, I'll cut off the hand that hurt her," he growled, glaring up at Jared.

"How you gonna do that, kid?" he smirked, smugly. "Telepathy?"

"You shouldn't use such big words like that," Fisher retorted. "Your head might explode."

"You little punk!" Jared snarled. "You're just _like_ Riddick with that smart mouth! You wanna be ghosted right now in front of your girl?"

"I told you, she ain't my girl," Fisher replied, truthfully. "And thank you for the compliment. I strive to be _just like Riddick_."

"You're goddamn nuts, kid," the merc with Jared insulted, shaking his head.

"Let's get off this ice rock," Jared told the merc and headed toward the pilot's seat as the other mercs piled into the ship and sat in their seats, hooking themselves up to cryo.

"Hey," the nameless merc called, stopping Jared before he sat in the pilot's chair. "You gonna hook these two up to the cryo?"

Jared glanced between Fisher and the girl then scoffed, smirking evilly as he replied, "Teach that girl a lesson to run away when she's given the _privilege_ of being let out once in a while. And that kid needs to learn a few manners, too."

"But they'll get even _more_ crazy if they're not hooked up to cryo!" the merc, suddenly feeling merciful.

"That's Olmstead's problem, not ours," Jared blurted, waving it off and sitting in the pilot's seat.

The nameless merc glanced between Fisher and the girl then headed to his own seat and hooked himself to the cryo, just as Jared lifted the ship into the air.

_Damn merc doesn't even realize that crap won't affect me_, Fisher thought to himself with a smirk, determined to be just like Riddick. He glanced over at the girl in front of him with a long face. _Her__ on the other hand..._

He was about to say something to her when he saw Jared stand from the pilot's seat once they broke atmo and shut his mouth again as the merc walked to his seat. The ship was on autopilot, and Fisher waited until he was hooked up to cryo and fast asleep before he turned to the girl again to see her sitting limply with her head bowed.

"Hey," he called, gently and she hesitantly lifted her head to meet his amber eyes with her sky blues. "What's your name?"

She sniffled before she replied, meekly, "Faith."

"I'm Fisher," he smiled, reassuringly. "It's nice to meet you."

"Don't screw with me!" she hissed, making him frown and jump in his seat, taken aback by her anger. "It's _not_ nice to meet me! I didn't get away and now I've dragged _you_ into this! How is it _nice_?"

"W-Well…" he trailed off, trying to collect his thoughts from his shock. Finally figuring out what to say he continued, "It's nice because I haven't been around a girl that wasn't single in a while, and you're really nice to look at. Besides, thanks to _you_ I got a little action. I haven't had an adventure in three years."

Faith stared at him in surprise, a blush over her cheeks at his comment about her being nice to look at. Swallowing, she leaned forward a bit and whispered, "You _do_ know you've been _kidnapped_, right?"

"Nah," Fisher smirked confidently, shaking his head as he leaned back in his seat. "These assholes don't know what they've captured."

"You seem pretty confident," she murmured, casting her gaze into her lap again. "I wish I could be more like you."

"Well, it's all how you're raised I guess," Fisher shrugged. "Besides, being shy isn't a _bad_ thing. And you didn't seem too shy when you asked me to _kill_ you."

"That was different," she muttered, then had a second thought. Wanting to change the subject she realized, "You never answered that merc's question."

"Which one?" Fisher wondered, honestly.

"Are you related to Riddick?" Faith asked without hesitation and Fisher looked up at her with wide eyes, making her jump with a start and cast her eyes down again. "I-I don't mean to pry…"

"You're not," he assured her and she looked up at him. "No, I'm not related to him."

"Then how are you so much like him?" she wondered, suddenly curious.

Fisher kept silent for a moment, thinking over whether or not he should tell her that he actually _knew_ the convict. He didn't want to scare the girl away. She was the newest person he'd met in three years, and he didn't want to blow it. A shy thing like her would be scared out of her mind by someone like Riddick, and even though he took that merc's comment about him looking like him as a compliment, he'd also heard her gasp when she caught the glare he'd been giving the mercs. It was a gasp of sheer terror.

"I don't think I should say," he finally replied, honestly. "Actually, I don't _want_ to. I don't want to scare you. I'll tell you this, though…I'm a huge fan of Riddick."

Faith nodded in understanding. She wouldn't push him. After all, they'd just met. It wouldn't be polite. She continued to stare at him as he slouched with a sigh, but when he felt her staring at him and looked at her, she quickly averted her eyes to her lap again.

"I-I'm sorry," she mumbled and Fisher frowned at her.

"Why?" he asked sincerely, making Faith look up at him with a wide-eyed frown.

"I-I dragged you into my problems, and now you're going with the rest of us to the Messer system," she replied.

"Messer?" Fisher wondered if he'd heard right. "Which planet?"

Faith's frown deepened, cocking her head to the side slightly in curiosity as she replied, "Didn't you hear that merc say we were heading to Lord Olmstead's Palace?"

"Well, yeah, but I don't know who the hell that is," he shrugged. "What's he lord of? Slaves?"

It was meant as a joke to lighten the mood, and he was relieved she took it as such when she let out the cutest giggle he'd ever heard. It was so cute, it made him smile as he glanced at his hands to hide his blush at finally cheering her up.

"No," she smiled, shaking her head slightly. "He's lord on the planet Capernium. I don't think he's lord of anything _specific_, but-"

"Wait a sec," he cut in gently, looking up at her with wide eyes. "Did you say Capernium?"

Faith nodded and Fisher sat back, staring at the ground in deep thought, making her start to panic slightly.

"Is something wrong?" she wondered, hoping she hadn't said anything to upset him.

"Not…really," he replied, not looking at her. "It's just…a friend of mine that I was living with on that planet we just left, she was there for a while."

"Oh," Faith replied vacantly, casting her eyes down in disappointment that he'd been living with a _she_.

Fisher sighed, leaning his head back on the headrest of his chair and wondering if Deirdra would risk going back to that planet. She'd told him some nasty things that had happened there to her, and she had made him swear not to tell Riddick, for whatever reason. He didn't ask. He just never did. Sighing again he looked up at Faith who was now twiddling her thumbs in her lap and he leaned forward as much as he could.

"Hey," he called gently and she looked up at him. "Don't you worry your pretty little head about anything. No one's gonna touch you, ok?"

"Why wouldn't they?" she muttered. "That's what I'm gonna be _there_ for."

"They'll have to get through _me_ to touch you, first," Fisher replied, snapping her gaze to his. "And the only way to get through me is to _kill_ me. You just stick with me and I'll protect you, ok?"

"Why?" she wondered, breathlessly. "Why would you do that for me?"

Fisher gave a small shrug with a slight smirk then replied, "Because pretty girls should always be protected from everything hurtful."

Her eyes widened a bit more as she stared at him as he only continued smirking at her. Feeling her face flaring she looked away from to hide it, but he'd already seen the blush he caused, and it made his heart flutter as he sat back again.

"We should try to get some sleep," he suggested, closing his eyes and adjusting to get as comfortable as possible in his chair, which wasn't easy with his legs spread the way they were. "It's gonna be a long ride to the Messer system."

"How do you know?" Faith couldn't help but wonder.

"Because I used to live there, on Kalos," he admitted. "Trust me, getting from there to UV 1 was a bitch." He opened one of his eyes to peek at her and say, "Pardon my language, Miss."

She couldn't help but giggle at the last comment and he gave a goofy smile as he shut his eyes completely again before leaning back to sleep, and Faith curled up in her chair to sleep as well. Maybe he wouldn't be so crazy, even though he wasn't hooked to cryo. He had a pretty girl to keep him sane, and he'd do the same for her.

* * *

_Meanwhile..._

"Thrusters?"

"Check."

"Life-support?"

"Check."

"Fuel?"

"Riddick, everything's fine, just lift off already!"

He turned a glare at Deirdra who slouched in her chair, strapped in and staring back at him in boredom.

"You want us to crash land like we did on Furya because we ran outta gas?" he retorted.

"Of course not," she snapped. "That's why I took the liberty of coming out here to check and double check everything in case we needed to leave. You think I'm stupid?"

"There are times…" he trailed off, flipping a few switches and Deirdra reached over to punch him in the arm, but he quickly grabbed her fist with one hand, without looking from the panel as he flipped more switches to prepare for lift-off. She sneered and yanked her hand from his grip as he took the helm in his hands.

Deirdra sighed as Riddick piloted the ship up and into the atmosphere. Once they broke atmo, she let out another sigh and placed her hands over her face as Riddick checked the scanners to see if he could pick anything up. He stopped when he heard her sniffle and looked at her, his silver eyes examining her closely as he noticed her shoulders shuddering, slightly.

She'd been doing this ever since Fisher was kidnapped. Every time there was a time of calm, she'd bury her face in her hands and start sobbing, silently. It was starting to piss him off because he couldn't figure out how to keep her from doing it. Well, he thought of _one_ way to get her to quit it, but she wouldn't go for it right now, he knew it.

"Stop staring at me like that, Riddick," she murmured breathlessly, sensing he was staring at her and his eyes snapped to hers as she lowered her hands and stared back at him. "I know he's not our son, or whatever, but I can't help that I feel like he _is_!"

"I didn't say anything," he replied, knowing she was just letting herself get emotional.

"Your smart ass _mouth_ didn't say a word, but your _eyes_ are saying plenty!" she shot back. "They're saying, 'Dammit, Girl! Quit being such a cry baby and pull yourself together!' right?"

"Dammit, Girl! Quit putting words in my mouth!" he snarled. "I _hate_ it when you do that! Knock it off!"

"Well, isn't that what you were thinking?" she snapped.

"No!" he growled. "I was trying to think of a way to get you to stop crying without being the asshole I am!"

"Well why didn't you just _say_ that?"

"I just _did_!"

"Dammit, Riddick! Stop yelling at me!"

"You first!"

She roared at him and he only roared back. She un-strapped herself from her seat and stood to march toward the back of the ship to pace as he stayed in his seat.

"I don't know whether I wanna screw you or kill you!" she snarled, still pacing.

"You couldn't kill me if you tried," he taunted, "so I suggest you try that first one. I have no objections to that."

"Shut up, you horny bastard!" she snapped as he started tapping the screens on the panel to search for something.

Not caring if she got angry with talking to her, he asked, "Who's Lord Olmstead?"

Deirdra stopped in her tracks and Riddick caught the instant scent of fear in the air wafting off of her. He heard her footsteps hurrying toward him, and she used all her strength to pull the shoulder of the seat he was in and spin it around to face her.

"Why the shit would you wanna know that, Riddick?" she asked, breathless from fear that was glowing in the chocolate depths of her eyes.

"Because that's where one of the mercs said he was taking the prisoners," he replied, calmly. "You were too busy crying and trying to struggle against the grip I had on you to hear, but _I_ did."

"No," she breathed again, standing tall and backing away.

Fear grew within her, and Riddick could smell it; hear her heart racing as if she'd just ran a thousand miles. Her hands started shaking, along with her knees and he quickly shot to his feet to catch her just as she let them fall from under her. She landed against his chest as he pulled her up to stand again, but she wasn't limp and she was still shaking as if she'd been locked in a freezer for hours.

"What the hell, Deirdra?" he asked and she turned her frightened gaze up to him as he only stared at her, waiting for an explanation.

"He's a lord on Capernium," she finally explained in a shaky voice. "Uri Olmstead is the most ruthless, evil man on that planet. A man I hoped _never_ to see again. If the mercs are taking Fisher to him; if he steps one foot into his palace, he's as good as dead. Olmstead is an expert in torture and pain. He makes _you_ look like a goddamn boy scout. You may like killing those who deserve to be killed; you may kill when provoked, but _this_ guy gets off on hurting and killing _anyone he wants_. He doesn't care if they're innocent of not. Men, women, children; it doesn't matter. I'd heard he hired mercs to gather people up for him, but I never imagined it was _true_."

Riddick only stared at her emotionlessly, still holding her and taking in everything she was telling him. After a moment of silence, he finally asked, "So how do you know him?"

"I told you," she shuddered, "He's a lord on Capernium where I lived until Aereon found me."

"Yeah, but you said you'd hoped to never see him again," he recalled. "That sounded like you knew him _personally_."

Deirdra stared up at him and swallowed. Fresh fear filled his senses and he had a feeling it was _him_ he was afraid of now.

"W-Well…" she sputtered in a whisper. "I-I may have lied when I told you that most of my battles scars were _actually_ battle scars."

Riddick's face was still stone, but his shining eyes were simmering with rage. Not that she had lied, really, but that it was starting to sound like someone had hurt her when she was helpless. He would _not_ let that stand, past or present.

"This Olmstead guy," he finally began in a low voice. "_He_ did some of that to you?"

Deirdra swallowed again as her eyes started filling with fresh tears, unable to close the gates at the thought of what Fisher might go through and she nodded, mutely.

"Which ones?" he asked, seriously and she looked up at him with an incredulous frown over her brow. He only lifted a brow and enunciated through clenched teeth, "Which. Ones."

"That doesn't matter now, Riddick," she shuddered, sliding her hands up his chest and neck to place them on his cheeks. "We can't let Fisher be taken in there. Lord Olmstead tortures the stronger ones. He makes it last as long as he can. Sometimes he even brings them _back_ when they _die_ so he can torture them some _more_!" With each emphasized word her nails started digging into Riddick's head. "We have to get him back!"

"Easy, Girl," he murmured, pulling her wrists into his hands and pulling them away from his face. "Goddamn nails are sharp."

"Riddick, how the hell are we gonna get him outta there?" she breathed, placing her hands on his shoulders.

"You let _me_ do the planning," he assured her. "Meantime, I need the coordinates to Capernium."

"Yeah, ok," she sniffled, wiping away the tears she'd been crying quickly.

She looked back at Riddick as he didn't move, waiting for her to give him the coordinates, but she just stared up at his shining eyes. He knew what was coming. He could see it in her eyes and he knew why. She needed comfort, and he knew she would seek it in his arms. Her eyes drifted down to his lips but he stayed still, knowing _she_ would want to take the lead. Only when she needed comfort would he let her take the lead over him.

Deirdra craned her neck and lifted herself onto her tiptoes to kiss his lower lip. It took all of his will to keep himself from grabbing her and shoving his tongue into her mouth to ravage it, but he settled for letting his hands rest on her hips. Her arms slid around his neck as she pulled her mouth away from his and buried her face into his chest, catching him off guard and making him frown.

"It feels weird being the aggressor," she admitted, and he heard the small smile on her lips. "You know what I need, right?"

Instead of responding with words, he used one arm to pick her up by the waist and she wrapped her legs around his waist as his other hand grabbed a handful of her hair to pull her lips to his. He sat back down in the pilot's seat as they kissed, deeply and pulled at clothes to be rid of them, leaving the coordinates for later.

* * *

**A/N:** reviews?


	3. Plans

**A/N:** new chappie! enjoy!

* * *

_**Chapter 3: Plans**_

Deirdra stared at the screen that displayed Capernium until her eyes felt heavy as she sat on Riddick's lap in the pilot's seat. She thought to set the coordinates for the Messer System while he slept. She couldn't sleep anyway. It would take them two or three days to get to Capernium, but that wasn't what made her hesitate to put the ship on autopilot to head there. It was the thought of Uri Olmstead. _Lord_ Uri Olmstead.

Leaving Capernium had been easy once Aereon had found her in his palace and taken her away. She never thought she'd end up _wanting_ to go back there. Well, not so much _wanting_ as _needing_ to. Fisher was on his way there, and though she knew he was strong, she also knew Olmstead. He would see that strength and torture him until he had none left to use him later for target practice.

She snuggled deeper into Riddick's lap, leaning her head back on his shoulder as she still stared at the screen. The coordinates were set. All that was left was to put it on autopilot. She lifted her hand to do just that, but it faltered, hesitating. She knew they had to get Fisher out of that place, but the more she thought about it, the more some of the scars on her body burned with memory-pains.

Some had gone away, leaving no trace of what had been there, but others remained, stubbornly clinging to her body to remind her of what he had done to her. She didn't want to tell Riddick which scars he had given her. It was too painful, too embarrassing. She didn't want to tell him that _she_ had been Olmstead's favorite to torture.

She always knew why she was his favorite though. Why he'd liked hearing her scream out of everyone else he kept in his torture chamber. It was because she was Furyan. He had always known, even though she'd never told him. He tortured her to break her spirit, but it had never worked. She still stared at him with defiance and lashed out when he moved to touch her.

Her hand hovered over the control panel as memories filled her mind and she tried willing them away, letting a tear trickle down her cheek. They never went away, even after the years she'd been away from Capernium, the memories lingered on. Riddick's hand suddenly came up next to her own and she jumped in surprise as he reached for the panel, setting the ship on autopilot himself.

"Now _you_ don't have to worry about it anymore," he told her, leaning back in the chair as she looked up at him with wide eyes. "It was _your_ idea to go after him. After the fuss you made about going to get him, seems kinda hypocritical that you'd hesitate after getting this far."

"I _want_ to get him back, Riddick," she snapped through clenched teeth then sat back against the arm of the pilot's seat. "I just don't…like the idea of facing Olmstead again. It scares the shit out of me, Riddick. I know you can't understand how I feel because you've never been afraid of anything like I'm afraid of him."

"I'll tell you what scared the shit outta me," he replied, making Deirdra shoot her gaze of wide-eyed shock at him. "That one time you said you were knocked up. _That_ scared the shit outta me."

"This isn't funny, Riddick," she sighed as her shock faded and she looked away from him.

"No, it ain't," he agreed. "And neither was _that_."

"Besides, this is different," she continued. "You're really not afraid of _any_ man like I'm afraid of him. No man can overpower you. He can easily overpower me, and did when I was in his palace."

"What the hell were you doing there in the first place?" Riddick wondered, and his tone told her that the question had been on his mind for a while.

"I'd been wandering the streets of Capernium since I was little, and when I was sixteen, one of his men picked me up telling me he'd take good care of me," she explained. "I didn't have the slightest clue what he _really_ meant by that until he took me to Olmstead. He saw the Furyan in me and wanted to break me."

Riddick scoffed and retorted, "Bastard didn't do a very good job, did he? You're still a pain in the ass."

"Thanks," she sighed, leaning her head against him again.

"It was a compliment, Deirdra," he explained, reading her tone as irritated.

"I know," she replied, honestly. "I'm glad I'm a pain in the ass. I'd rather be that than a timid little lamb. I wouldn't last five seconds with you if I was a lamb."

"Damn right about that," Riddick smirked, pulling the arm at her back around her to pull her closer and set his chin on her head. They were silent as she stroked his other arm that wrapped itself around her knees, making him drowsy again.

"His palace is huge," she began in a murmur, but he heard and willed himself to stay awake, even as she still stroked his arm. "He has thousands of guards too. He's not afraid to get his own hands dirty, and he's trained to use all kinds of weapons. Not to mention, he's trained in all kinds of martial arts, some of them I've never even heard of or seen anyone but _him_ use. He's defeated every man who's ever challenged him for any reason, and no man who's fought him has lived. He's the only other man I know who's undefeated, besides you."

"Tell me about his palace," Riddick ordered. "Where would he put the kid?"

"Probably in the lower levels," Deirdra replied. "There are five floors below ground. The one below ground level is where he keeps his animals. They're sort of like those hellhounds you told me about that were on Crematoria, only I've never seen them change into different colors. Olmstead uses them for gladiator fights to make things more…interesting in the ring, and he keeps up their taste for blood by feeding them the dead after he tortures the people to death.

"The second and third floors below ground level are prison chambers. That's probably where he'll put Fisher. One floor for men, the other for women. The cells are pretty open, and he keeps them separate to keep them from spreading STDs to each other and dying because of them. Especially the women. Can't have them making him sick."

Riddick didn't ask if Olmstead had taken her. He didn't _need_ to ask, he already knew. His fists clenched as he gritted his teeth. That was just one more reason he'd have to kill the bastard. It didn't matter that Riddick hadn't even known Deirdra back then, just the fact that someone had hurt her was enough to put him on the Kill List.

"The fourth and fifth levels below ground are for torture," she continued, but didn't fail to sense his anger, and didn't ask what was wrong. "He has all kinds of devices down there, and he'll usually work on several people at a time. He's gracious enough to give them time to rest in between torturing sessions while he works on someone else. If he's working on a man who's got a girlfriend in his ranks, or a wife, he'll go and get her and rape her right in front of him."

"Damn, he's one sick shit," Riddick growled.

"I told you," she murmured, then continued with her report on the palace structure. "Above ground is pretty standard. He's got bedrooms, a treasury, an artillery room, a throne room, a banquet hall, a ballroom, and so on. Anything a lord could need or want in a palace. It's really the underground floors we need to worry about. That's where they'll take Fisher."

"What kind of weaponry does he have?" Riddick questioned.

"Knives, pulse guns, gats, gages, everything a growing warmonger needs," Deirdra replied. "Anything you can think of, he's got it. Weapons of all kinds, from all planets, even some of the old antique weapons used on Earth. And he's trained to use all of them."

"What is this guy, a robot?" Riddick muttered.

"When I was there he used to talk about a religion he was once apart of," Deirdra reported. "He liked it because he got to kill anyone who didn't want to convert to it."

Riddick shot her gaze to Deirdra, wondering if she was going to say what he _thought_ she was going to say as she looked up at him.

"Don't tell me," he pleaded, not wanting to face one of _them_ again.

"The Necros kicked him out because he was a bit too…enthusiastic," she replied, knowing he'd figured out what she was going to say. He sighed in exhaustion and leaned his head back on the headrest of his seat.

"Why didn't they just kill him?" Riddick couldn't help but wonder. "Necros wouldn't have stood for letting someone just _leave_."

"No, they wouldn't," she agreed. "But the Necros knew how powerful and skilled he was. I told you, he's undefeated. Even the Necros he sparred with for training couldn't take him down. He used to brag about that and later when Valin became a Necro, and I went with him, I heard about him. His Necro buddies confirmed he was undefeated."

"That's why they never went near the Messer system, I'll bet," Riddick theorized. "They knew he'd settled there and they didn't wanna run into him, right?"

"Maybe," Deirdra agreed with a nod then asked, "So, what are we gonna do?"

"Right now, we're gonna sleep," he replied, leaning his head back again and closing his eyes. "It's a long way to Capernium. We'll need our rest."

Deirdra nodded and snuggled against his chest, but sleep didn't come for her right away. She tried listening to his steady heart beat over her own thoughts, but it did no good to lull her to sleep as it usually did. Riddick frowned after a few moments, not being able to fall asleep himself now that the smell of fear was filling his nostrils. He looked down at Deirdra, but she didn't move, either pretending to be asleep or not noticing he was frowning at her.

"Hey," he called, making her jump with a start and turn her wide, chocolate brown eyes at him in wonder. "You don't have to get anywhere near him. In fact, I don't _want_ you anywhere near him. When we get there, _I'll_ take care of Olmstead, _you_ get Fisher to the ship. At least we've got _half_ a plan now."

"Riddick, he's undefeated!" Deirdra breathed. "He'll _kill_ you!"

"You think so?" Riddick smirked, lifting a brow in amusement. "You don't have much faith in me, do you? Where have you been the past four or five years, or have you forgotten all the assholes I've taken down?"

"This is different, Riddick," she insisted. "_He's_ different. Can we just sneak Fisher out without being seen?"

"And leave that bastard alive?" Riddick snarled. "After everything he did to you, how can you not _want_ me to kill him?"

"I want him dead, but I don't want _you_ dead!" Deirdra shot back. "My experience is that when two people who are undefeated face each other they _kill each other_! I have faith in you, but just because I think you'll kill him, doesn't mean he won't take _you_ with him! I can't live without you, dammit!"

Riddick stared his shining eyes at her as tears began to well in her eyes. She shuddered and buried her face into his chest but he used both hands to pull her face back up to his gaze.

"Why do you like watching me cry?" she asked, shakily as he still held her head in his hands.

"'Cause you're still so goddamn beautiful," he growled deep in his chest, making her shiver as she felt it run through her body. "Besides, whenever you start crying you usually want something to make you stop." He grinned, deviously. "That's where _I_ come in."

"You're such an asshole," she couldn't help but smirk, because he was right. "But seriously, babe. As much as I'd like to see Olmstead bleeding and dying on the floor in front of me, I don't want _you_ to be lying there right next to him."

"Won't happen," he assured her, closing in on her mouth. "That son of a bitch won't know what hit him until it's too late. We'll be in and out with the kid in no time. Trust me."

"I do," she replied, a breath away from his lips, "but I'm so afraid. I know you hate when I am, but I can't help it."

"I know," he murmured, and ran his tongue slowly over her cheeks where tears had fallen then whispered, "You're mine, Deirdra. I keep what's mine safe from everything. It's my job to."

"Thank God for that," she sighed as his arms slid around her body and her own arms wrapped around him as she moved to straddle him.

"God has his tricks," he murmured, "but he ain't got a thing on me, babe. You just do what I tell you, got it?"

"Always," she smiled against his lips, and though he smelled desire on her skin and saw it in her eyes, felt it in her touch, there was still that underlying layer of fear and anxiety that filled the air around her.

Riddick had known all along that he'd have to kill Olmstead for what he'd done, but now he knew that she wouldn't stop being afraid unless he killed him. Another reason to kill the bastard was fine with him.

_That kid better be alright_, he growled inwardly as he kissed Deirdra, deeply. _'Cause is he isn't, I'm gonna have to kill __him__ too!_

* * *

_Meanwhile..._

"He wants _more_?"

"He said he ordered more on Lupus Five."

"Didn't know you could _order_ slaves."

"Apparently, you can."

The merc pilot, Jared, turned his seat around and faced the prisoners he had so far lining the walls of the cargo ship and sighed.

"We're gonna run outta room in here if this keeps up," he grumbled as he stood. "Good thing the money's good." He walked down the isle of seats to the hatch as it opened and a few mercs filed down the gangplank as one stayed inside, watching the prisoners. "Alright, let 'em stretch their legs."

The merc inside went down the rows, unlocking the chains from their prisoners as Jared walked down the gangplank as well. Fisher watched the merc carefully, looking for anything on his person that might help him get himself and Faith out of there.

"Hey, Tubby," he called to the merc, catching the mercs attention as he unlocked the chains of the prisoner next to the boy. "What planet are we on?"

"Why the hell do _you_ need to know?" the merc retorted, finishing with the chains of the prisoner in front of him.

"Just so I know where to tell my friends to come get me once I ghost you and get outta here," Fisher replied, making Faith, who still sat across from him, look up at him with wide, disbelieving eyes.

"Yeah, right," the merc chuckled, kneeling to unchain the boy's feet, muttering, "Smart ass kid."

Once one of his feet was free, Fisher's boot connected with the man's chin, sending him to the ground.

"Fisher! What are you doing?" she cried, seeing the keys in the man's hand. "You could have at least waited for him to unlock _all_ your chains!"

"I just needed this foot unchained," Fisher replied, pulling his free, right foot up to set it on the armrest his hands were chained to.

Adjusting himself so he could get his hands to the hem of his boot he stuck his fingers inside and pulled out something small, long and thin. Lowering his foot he used it to unlock the chains from his hands, then his other foot. He grabbed the keys from the merc and scrambled toward Faith to unlock her chains as well.

"What the hell are you doing, kid?" one of the prisoners hissed. "The mercs get back, they're gonna catch you and kill you!"

"No they won't," Fisher panted, finishing with Faith's chains. "They won't if they want their money."

He rushed toward the other prisoners that hadn't been let loose from their chains and unlocked them, then ran to one of the overhead compartments and pulled out his belt with his knives, hurriedly strapping it to his waist. He grabbed the down merc's gage and grabbed Faith's hand to drag her toward the hatch and hit the button to let it down with his elbow.

He bounced on his feet as he impatiently waited for the hatch to open and once it gave him enough room for a person to get through, he jumped to the ground and helped Faith out as well. He stood there for a moment, Faith clutching his arm as he looked around the hanger the ship had landed in.

"Where's the goddamn exit!" he hissed, but as soon as the words came out of his mouth, he located it.

Dragging Faith behind him, he shot toward it and opened it, pointing the gage in his other hand ahead of him in case anyone was there to ambush them. He frowned when he found a dark stairwell beyond the door but didn't think on it before he pulled Faith under his arm to keep her close. He hurried them down the stairwell, keeping her from tripping as they did until they came to another door.

He noticed light around the door and pulled Faith behind him again as he heard voices beyond it as well. He turned to her and whispered to stay quiet then turned back to the door and carefully took the knob into his hand. Just as he was about to, however, it swung toward them and pinned them both to the wall on the other side of it, keeping them in the dark.

"All I'm saying is, you'd think, with all his rank and whatever, he'd have enough people to serve him on Capernium," they heard Jared tell one of his merc buddies.

"Maybe they're not his type," the other merc laughed as they headed up the stairwell, followed by a line of chained prisoners.

A merc held the door open for them, his back facing Fisher and Faith as they huddled into the corner, holding their breath to keep from being discovered. Once the last prisoner crossed the threshold, the merc let go of the door and walked after them, but Fisher quickly grabbed the knob to keep it from swinging away from him. He grabbed Faith's hand and hustled around the door to let it shut behind them.

He pulled her under his arm once they were in the streets of Lupus Five and he glanced around, looking for some place that had a communication line of some kind. He hurried her down the street, concealing the gage in his hand between them, his eyes darting around to look for some place to at least hide. He knew once they got to the ship, the mercs would be after them.

"Fisher, what are we gonna do?" Faith whispered, clutching his shirt in one of her hands.

"For now, we'll find a place to hide," he murmured, leaning his head toward her, but keeping his gaze ahead. "Once they get back to the ship, they'll come looking for us. Any ideas on a hiding place?"

Faith gave a breathless laugh, making him give a small smile at making her laugh again, even as they ran for their lives.

"We'll try a temple or religious structure of some kind," he suggested, looking around the streets. "They wouldn't think of looking for us there."

"What makes you so sure?" she wondered as he weaved them in and out of people.

"Because the first place escapees would head to would be a hotel or something," Fisher explained. "Somewhere with food, or a ship to get as far away as possible."

"Why don't we take a ship?" Faith wondered, innocently.

"They could track us," he explained, his pace quickening when he noticed a small chapel. "Besides, I don't really know how to fly, and we have to find a place to contact my friends and tell them where I am. They'll want us to stay here in hiding."

"Are you sure your friends will come get us?" she hoped as he ushered her into the chapel.

"If not both, one of them will come for sure," he assured her as the door to the chapel closed behind them.

"I'm sorry, you'll need to make an appointment for marriage ceremonies," the priest said, walking toward them and Fisher and Faith both turned bright red at the comment.

"No, that-" Fisher choked, then cleared his throat. "That's not why we're here, Holy Man. I need you to keep this girl here safe for me while I go contact a friend of mine."

"What?" Faith and the priest asked together, but Fisher looked at Faith.

"You'll be safe here," he assured her, his hands gripping her arms to face her toward him. Unfortunately, the gage he'd stolen was now visible, and the priest's eyes went wide.

"This is a House of God!" he snapped, and Fisher looked up at the man with a frown then glanced at the gage in his hand and rolled his eyes.

"Look, Holy Man, I ain't gonna shoot anything up I don't _have_ to," Fisher assured him then turned Faith and ushered her toward him. "Just keep her safe. Put her in one of the confessional boxes or something. Outta sight, preferably."

"Fisher, I can't let you get caught and killed!" Faith insisted, but instead of answering her he pulled her toward him again, planting his lips to hers for a moment then pulling away before he was tempted to deepen the kiss.

"Be right back, I promise," he murmured and hurried toward the door as Faith stood there in shock until the priest pulled her toward one of the confessional boxes to hide her there.

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**A/N:** aw! Fisher made a move! lol! reviews?


	4. Taste of Freedom

**A/N:** new chappie! enjoy!

* * *

_**Chapter 4: Taste of Freedom**_

Fisher shot out of the chapel doors and glanced around, grabbing a long black cloak from the coat-hanger next to the doors and throwing it on to conceal his gage, trying not to think about that kiss he'd given Faith without thinking. He slid his goggles over his eyes and started down the street, glancing over his shoulder every once in a while to make sure none of the mercs were following him. He found a building next door to the chapel and glancing around again he walked inside.

"Well, what can I do for you, son?" a very round man asked with a salesman smile as he went around the counter. Fisher didn't pay any attention to what the man had in his store as he met the man half way, lifting his goggles onto his forehead again.

"I need to make a call," he replied, quickly.

"Oh, I'm sorry son," the man replied. "Paying customers are the only kind of customer that can use the phone."

Fisher somehow kept from glaring at the men, but he knew his impatience evident. The boy glanced around, suddenly interested in what the man was selling then realized he didn't have any money. He gritted his teeth in thought and tapped the gage he still kept hidden under his cloak.

"How about a trade?" he asked the man who frowned at him. "I don't have any money." He pulled out the gage and held it up. "What would you trade me for this?"

The man scoffed and waved it off, shaking his head as he replied, "You won't get _shit_ with that!"

Fisher glared at the man irritably. He _could_ ghost the guy and be done with it, but he thought better of it. He couldn't have mercs _and_ feds after him with that girl with him. Tapping his foot and glancing around the small shop he noticed some nice looking knives in the glass counter they were standing next to. Fisher knelt down, remembering he had another pair of shivs in his boots besides the ones on his belt and yanked them out to place them on the counter.

"What can I get for _these_?" he asked the man whose eyes widened at them. He examined them then looked at his knives in the glass counter. He pointed to a set of three throwing knives small enough to conceal almost anywhere.

"Those," he replied, "and your call."

"Done," Fisher nodded.

The man took the knives, then went around the counter and pulled out the throwing knives on a belt that held their sheaths. Fisher took the belt and followed the man as he walked him to the back of the shop. He pointed Fisher to the communication screen and the boy nodded as the man walked away to give him privacy.

He punched in the code to get the ship they'd flown in to UV1 with and waited. The screen was black for a while until there was a deafening sound of static and he cringed back, covering his ears for a moment until it died down. Between spats of static an image blinked into view and Fisher stared at the screen with wide eyes. He'd caught a familiar face on the screen.

"Dee!" he called as the image became clearer. "Deirdra! Hey! It's me, Fisher!"

As the image became even clearer he saw Deirdra sitting on Riddick's lap and sneered, but soon realized they were sleeping.

"Hey! Wake up, dammit! I need your help! Deirdra!"

He heard something behind him and glanced toward the counter to see the salesman had disappeared somewhere. This made him frown and he lifted his guard, glancing at his surroundings as he turned back to the screen just in time.

"_Fisher?_" Deirdra gasped into the screen. "_Thank __God__ you're safe! Are you alright? How the hell did you get away?_"

"No time for details," he replied, glancing around. "I gotta make this fast. We're on Lupus Five and-"

"_We__?_" he heard Riddick question and winced. He hoped the man wouldn't be too mad with him.

"Like I said, no time for details," Fisher reiterated. "Long story short, there's a girl with me here, and she doesn't wanna be slaved out to the Olmstead guy, whoever the hell he is."

"_And let me guess, you like her?_" Riddick guessed.

"_We don't have time to deal with stuff like that right now!_" Deirdra snarled over her shoulder at Riddick then looked back at Fisher. "_We're nearly there. We'll come get you_."

"We're hiding in a chapel near the hangar," Fisher reported, quickly. "I knocked out the merc that was holding us while the rest of them went to get more slaves this guy ordered, so they'll be coming after me and her as soon as they get themselves organized."

"I _knew_ you knew Riddick somehow, kid."

"_Fisher!_" Deirdra shouted from the screen as the boy whirled around at the sound of the voice only to be pulled into a headlock by Jared and faced toward the screen. Jared leaned toward the screen with a smug grin.

"You want your boy and his little piece of ass, you come get 'em at Olmstead's," Jared reported. "He'll be waiting for you after I tell him who's coming. Riddick and this guy'll have a fine old time killing each other, sweet heart." He turned from the screen to look at Fisher and ask, "Won't they, sonny?"

"Screw you!" Fisher choked out, trying to pull Jared's arm from his throat.

Jared grinned smugly again and looked back at the screen to say, "See you there, Riddick!"

He flipped the screen off and yanked Fisher toward the door where he felt his heart clench at the sight in the threshold. Another merc was holding Faith in an arm-lock as she struggled to be free.

"What'd you do to the Holy Man?" Fisher growled, struggling against his captor.

"Holy Liars should die," Jared smirked. "And he _did_."

Fisher roared and tried to throw Jared off his feet by throwing himself back at him but the other man held fast.

"All you goddamn mercs are the same!" Fisher snarled as they headed out the door. "No honor! No code! Just kill whoever the hell you want without thinking of who they are or who they're leaving behind!"

Tears were starting to well in his eyes at the image that ran through his mind of his brother lying in a pool of his own blood.

"If people didn't get in our way we wouldn't have to ghost 'em," Jared justified, but it did nothing to cool Fisher's temper. That was no excuse. He continued to struggle, and having enough of it, Jared tightened his grip on the boy's neck to choke him a little more and get his attention. "Hey! You keep struggling like this, I'm gonna have a piece of your girl for myself right in front of you!"

"You touch her and I'll kill you myself!" Fisher choked as Faith struggled a little more against the merc holding her when she heard Jared. "You'll beg me to kill you quick when I get my hands on you!"

"I have a feeling Riddick does all your killing _for_ you, kid," Jared sneered. "Now quit jerkin' around or I'll get me some when we get to the ship!"

Fisher tried to free himself a few more times before he finally stopped, seemingly giving up. The truth was, Fisher was so angry that it had turned to calm clarity. His fists were pumping, itching to pull his shivs from his belt and slice both their throats, but he realized that if Riddick and Deirdra thought he was taken again they'd head to Capernium and never come to Lupus Five to pick them up. He also realized that since he couldn't pilot a ship out of there, he and Faith would have to stay on the planet, hunted by the rest of the mercs from the cargo ship that brought them there.

Not liking it one bit, but knowing it was the only decision that would keep them alive, and Faith from being violated by this damn, dirty merc, he submitted to being led back to the hangar, into the ship and chained up again. As Jared chained him up to his chair, now with his arms outstretched above his head on either side of him, Fisher suddenly realized that the idiots hadn't taken his shivs or the throwing knives he now had in his belt.

He smirked slightly to himself at the realization but it quickly dropped when he saw Jared chaining up Faith across from him. The merc stood tall but didn't walk away from her and instead stared at her for a moment as she kept her gaze in her lap. Fisher stiffened when he saw Jared's hand reach for her face and pull her chin up to look her straight in the face. He didn't need to see Jared's face to know what was going through the merc's mind.

"We had a deal!" Fisher snapped, bringing Jared's attention to him and away from Faith. "You said if I came back the rest of the way quietly you'd leave her alone!"

"No," Jared crooned, lowering his hand from Faith's chin and smirking at Fisher as he corrected, "I said that if you _didn't_ quit struggling I'd have a piece of her. I never said I'd leave her alone if you quit."

"Damn assholes!" Fisher snarled, pulling against his chains. "You all think _Riddick's _an animal! Well from where I'm sitting it's all of _you_ who are the animals!"

Jared yanked the gage on the floor that Fisher had had and smacked the boy across the face with it. Faith cried out when it happened, but Fisher didn't make a noise as he slowly turned a glare back up at Jared, tasting his own blood filling his mouth from a cut in his cheek made by the impact.

Swirling it around in his mouth to work up enough of it, he still glared up at Jared and when he was satisfied with the amount of blood in his mouth he spat at the merc. Blood spattered over the merc's face, making him jerk his head and shut his eyes against it. He turned back to Fisher who licked up the blood on his lips and placed the barrel of the gage to the boy's forehead.

"Hey, wait a sec, Jared!" another merc called, panic thick in his voice. "Leave it to Olmstead, huh? You know what he wants these guys for! _He'll_ put the hurt on him for you, don't worry about it! Maybe we can get more money for him, huh? Up our payday!"

Jared glared at the boy who only sneered back, unafraid. He knew if this guy had the balls to do it, he would have ghosted him a long time ago.

"Fine!" Jared snarled, shoving off of Fisher and marching toward the pilot seat. "Let's get off this rock and get this job done! That kid's pissing me off!"

"Hey, maybe we'll even get _way_ more for getting Riddick over there for him!" the other merc continued, sitting in an empty seat. "That should fetch us a pretty penny, huh?"

"Whatever," Jared snarled again, starting the engines for lift off.

_Damn idiots don't know what the hell they're getting themselves into_, Fisher thought to himself. _Riddick'll take out all of them __and__ this Olmstead guy. Whoever the hell he is. Doesn't matter. Riddick'll take care of him._

He looked up at Faith to see her shaking with fear and once they broke atmo and the others were sound asleep from the cryo, which they'd failed to be hooked up to again, he gave a soft whistle to catch her attention. She looked up at him with wide eyes filled with tears and his heart clenched.

"You know you taste like strawberries?" he wondered with a small smirk, trying to get her to smile. Her eyes widened a little more and a blush adorned her cheeks as Fisher smirked a little wider and couldn't resist licking his lips. "Scrumptious."

"Stop it!" Faith hissed and lowered her face to hide her deepening blush and small smile.

"I won't let him touch you like that, Faith," he assured her, needing to tell her and she looked up at him again. "_No one_ is gonna hurt you as long as I'm around."

"Why are you protecting me?" she wondered, honestly.

"Isn't it obvious?" he smirked. "I thought the kiss gave it away. I like you."

"U-Oh," she sputtered, her blush returning and her gaze lowering to her lap again.

"I'm sorry I couldn't get us outta this, Faith," he murmured, bowing his head in shame. "I tried."

"I know," she replied. "It's not your fault. It's no one's fault for it, really." She looked up at him with a smile and said, "At least your friends are coming for us, right?"

He lifted his head and at seeing her smiling just a little he smiled in return and nodded, saying, "Yeah. And Riddick won't hesitate to take these guys out."

* * *

_Meanwhile..._

Deirdra stared wide eyes at the screen that was now static, unmoving and her mind blank as she tried to register what had just happened.

"Shit!" Riddick snarled, making her jump and he leaned forward to tap the screen to scan the code again to call it, but it was no use. "That kid's still wet behind his goddamn ears! Of _course_ they were watchin' him!"

"Riddick," Deirdra breathed, catching his attention. "H-He said he was gonna tell Olmstead you were coming." She turned to him with wide eyes, filling with tears. "Y-You're not seriously going to fight him, are you?"

"I thought we already went through this," Riddick recalled. "You just worry about getting that idiot kid outta there and let _me_ worry about the rest, alright?"

"But-"

"Shut it Girl, and get some sleep," he snapped, pulling her deeper into his arms as he leaned back again and her head leaned on his shoulder.

She didn't fight him. She knew he would have everything under control, but it was Olmstead she was worried about, and would be throughout this whole ordeal. Now that he would _know_ Riddick was coming, he would have time to prepare for him, however you would do that. Both men were unpredictable, but it _definitely_ gave you an edge when you knew something unpredictable was coming. She only prayed Riddick hadn't gotten rusty fighting against beasts for the past three years. Even with sparring with each other, she knew he wasn't getting any younger.

Riddick didn't fall asleep as he'd told Deirdra to. He was stroking his hand over her back, trying not only to sooth her, but _himself_. He wasn't nervous or afraid of facing Olmstead. Hell, he welcomed the challenge that Deirdra was working this guy up to be. It was _Deirdra_ he was worried about. He couldn't let her see him fight this guy. If she witnessed it, he was sure she would try to help him, and he couldn't have her getting hurt for him. Not like Caroline Fry. Not like Kyra.

He blamed Fisher for this. If that kid had just listened to them and _waited_ for them instead of going off on his own, he wouldn't have met that girl, felt the urge to protect her, and got pinched. He was sure that was how it happened as soon as that kid said, 'There's a girl with me…' Damn kid couldn't keep it in his pants long enough to think logically, Riddick guessed. Then again, he didn't really think the kid was thinking with his dick. If it had been Riddick, and he wasn't _Riddick_, he'd try to help the girl out of sheer nobility. That was just as bad, if not worse than thinking with your dick to Riddick. Nobility usually got you killed or pinched, _especially_ if it was over a girl. Still, he couldn't help but give a small smile as he leaned his head back to sleep. Maybe the kid _wasn't_ ending up like him, like he thought he would?

* * *

**A/N: **reviews?


	5. Tour of Lupus Five

**A/N:** new chappie! enjoy!

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_**Chapter 5: Tour of Lupus Five**_

"Alright," Riddick said, sitting in the pilot's seat, Deirdra next to him in the co-pilot's chair. "Let's go over the plan again."

"Fine," Deirdra sighed, slouching back in her chair and pulling her hair into a bun. They'd been going over the Plan for hours now, and she was getting tired of it, but he insisted on it as they now sat fully clothed and focused as they landed in the Lupus Five hangar, needing supplies and a few more weapons.

"Once we get to that jerk's place, what are you gonna do?" he questioned, setting the ship down and flipping a few switches.

"I head to the lower levels to find Fisher and the girl with him," she replied, pulling out one of her shivs to clean her nails with it.

"Wrong," Riddick groaned, making Deirdra look at him with wide eyes.

"What do you mean 'wrong'?" she growled, un-strapping herself from the seat as he did the same and she sat up straight, putting the shiv back in her belt. "We've been going over this since we saw Fisher get taken _again_! I _think_ I know what the hell I'm supposed to do!"

"You're getting the kid, _alone_," Riddick growled, swerving his seat to face her and pushing his goggles over his eyes. "We're not taking his little girlfriend with us. Once I kill this Lord of Torture, his slaves will be set free and on their own. We're not taking any of them _with_ us."

"Riddick, he needs somebody other than the two of _us_," Deirdra argued calmly, now seeing what she had been 'wrong' about. "He's a teenage boy. They have…needs."

"The hell _this_ kid does!" Riddick snarled. "He was thinking with his dick when he met her and tried to save her sorry ass from the mercs she'd gotten pinched by just so he could have a piece of it later!"

"That's bullshit and you know it, Richard B. Riddick!" she spat back. "Fisher would save anyone in trouble without a second thought! _Especially_ if they were running from mercs! You know what happened to his brother! Why are you trumping it up to sex? He's not _you_!"

She gave a small gasp when he shot from his seat and leaned toward her, his hands on the armrests of her chair and her wide-eyed expression reflected in his goggles as she shoved herself back into her chair and stared at him.

"No, he's not," he ground out and she swallowed. "I plan on _keeping_ it that way, Deirdra. _That's_ why I hate it when you say he's our son, because he's _not_, and I don't _want_ him to be. If he was _our_ son, those two mercs I found in the cave wouldn't be the _only_ ones that we found dead on UV1. Count your blessings that he's _not_ a flesh and blood Riddick."

"No matter what you say," she breathed, trying very hard to keep herself from planting her lips to his, "deep down, I think you'd like having him for a son. I saw the look in your eyes when you were examining the bodies back on UV1. You were proud of him, weren't you?"

"For a split-second," he admitted. "Then I had another thought. I thought: 'So it starts here. He's heading down the same path I did. He's gonna become a goddamn killing machine like the man he was raised with.'"

"You're a selfish, arrogant asshole, Riddick!" Deirdra snarled, and this made him frown in wonder. She reached up and yanked his goggles from his head to send her burning gaze into his eyes. "He wasn't just living with _you_, you know? _I_ was there too! If you recall, _I_ was the one who brought him along with us when _you_ didn't want to have anything to do with him! I realize that you felt like you were protecting him and trying to keep him from ending up like you, but he needed someone! He was running the streets of Kalos, stealing food to survive without a place to sleep at night! Don't you remember what that did to-?"

"Don't you dare finish that goddamn sentence," Riddick growled, ready to kill her if she _did_ finish it.

"Why not?" Deirdra spat back. "That's what it boils down to, isn't it? _Her_! You don't want to make the same mistake with Fisher that you made with Jack, but you almost did! If I hadn't brought him with us _he_ would have ended up being picked up and slaved out and eventually in a slam! And _he_ was worse off! There was _no one_ around to take care of him like Jack had Imam!"

"I swear, if you don't shut that goddamn mouth of yours I'm gonna slit your throat!" Riddick snarled at her, but she still stared at him defiantly. "I told you not to talk about that again! Dammit! Don't you ever _listen_ to me?"

"Does he remind you of her?" she egged on. "Is that why you've been keeping him at a distance? He tries so hard to make you proud of him, but you don't even acknowledge when he's done something right! You have no qualms about yelling at him when he's done something wrong, but when he actually does something good, you don't say a word! You were his idol Riddick! You still are! You avenged his brother without even knowing it! If you ask me, that sounds like Fate."

"No one asked you," Riddick growled, losing his patience.

"You didn't answer my question," she replied.

"If you'd shut up for a second, maybe I could," he shot back. "You wanna go down this road with me? You wanna know how much it killed me inside to see Jack all grown up in a slam and telling me that she went looking for me with _mercs_? Mercs, Deirdra! She hooked up with mercs and expected them to keep their word to her instead of slaving her out, after one of them tried to use her for bait on that God forsaken planet we got off of!"

"I know the story, Riddick," Deirdra reminded him.

"Then what the hell are you doing bringing it all up again? Trying to kill me?" he roared.

"No," she breathed, near tears at seeing the hurt and guilt in his silver eyes. She lifted her hands and placed them gently on his cheeks. "I'm trying to let you know that not everything you do ends up badly. I'm trying to help you see that not everyone is like you or Jack. Fisher isn't you or Jack. For one thing, he'd never even _consider_ signing up with mercs, the same outfit that killed his brother. He resembles you in a few traits, but he's _not you_. He's _not Jack_."

"Everyone around me dies, Deirdra," he murmured. "All those people who didn't _deserve_ to die on that planet, except for Johns. Then there's Imam and Kyra. As it is I worry about _you_-"

"I can take care of myself, babe," she replied, placing her fingertips gently on his lips. "You know that. You don't have to worry about me." A light bulb suddenly lit up in her mind and he saw it through her eyes. "Is that why you didn't want kids?"

"I told you why I don't want kids," he argued.

"Yeah, but that can't be all," she insisted. "You just didn't want to worry-"

"Don't make me sound like a selfish bastard," he cut in. "I didn't want kids because I didn't want them to be little killing machines, always getting their asses in trouble. Case in point: the Kid."

"Fisher isn't a killing machine," Deirdra insisted.

"Do you _hear_ yourself?" he snapped, shoving himself from her chair and standing tall in front of her. "He killed two mercs on UV1 and from the looks of it, I'd say he didn't even hesitate and he got himself into a shit-load of trouble with _mercs_. Sounding familiar?"

"He's not Jack!" Deirdra nearly screamed, shooting to her feet and staring up at him. "Would you stop comparing everyone you meet with you or her? This is a completely different situation-!"

"That's funny, because a second ago you were pointing out how _familiar_ these two situations were with him and her," he replied, lowly. "Something about me almost making the same mistake twice."

"It's different because you have _me_ now Riddick!" she snapped. "I'm here to help you if you'd just _let_ me, and let Fisher in a little too!"

"Damn kid got pinched!" he snarled. "How the hell am I supposed to deal with him when he gets himself pinched?"

"You go and get him!" Deirdra spat back. "And you bring his friend back with him so he's not alone! You _both_ learn from your mistakes. You left Jack alone, and now you have a second chance at this. Don't screw it up!"

"Make up your goddamn mind!" Riddick boomed. "Is he Jack or isn't he?"

"The fact that you have to _ask_ shows how screwed up your head is!" Deirdra shouted back. "He's _not_! He'll never be! But knowing you, you already think he is and I can't change your mind about it now matter what I say! So the only way I'm going to get through to you is to tell you that this is your second chance…_don't screw up_."

"You're not making any sense anymore, Deirdra," Riddick muttered. "You never did, but you're getting worse as you're getting older."

"Acknowledging him will only _help_ him, Riddick," she continued, trying to stay on the subject. "And bringing this girl with us…at least he'll have somebody other than us."

Riddick could see the logic in her words, at least the last statement, but if they picked up any more tag-alongs, they were going to end up looking like a refugee squad. Still, Fisher _did_ need somebody other than the two of him. Hell, if they brought the girl along maybe he wouldn't bother _them_ so much and wouldn't be so frustrated all the time, which was how he'd been acting lately.

"Fine," Riddick muttered. "But the minute she starts getting on my nerves, she's gone."

"You'll have to take that up with Fisher," Deirdra couldn't help but smirk and turned to head to the hatch but Riddick grabbed her wrist and pulled her toward him, making her ram into her chest.

"Where you goin'?" he murmured, his hands slipping to her waist. "We just had a fight and you're gonna leave me hot and bothered?"

"We have to get supplies," she replied simply, placing her hands on his upper arms to push away, but he didn't let go.

"It can wait," he told her, leaning toward her face but she fought the urge to let him kiss her and turned her head, making his lips land on her neck. He didn't mind that at all and started a trail of wet kisses down her neck.

"Riddick, we have to get supplies and go after Fisher before-"

He growled and shoved her away to march toward the hatch of the ship and slammed his hand on the button to open it. Sighing, Deirdra followed him as he marched down the gangplank and toward the exit, still holding his goggles. She knew it had been a mood breaker, bringing up the kid, but it had to be done. They had no time to waste. Once they were back on the ship she'd make it up to him, but for now they had to do work before play.

The couple headed down the dark stairwell, out the door at the end and into the streets. Riddick winced at the sun and growled as he turned, about to yell at Deirdra for taking his goggles, but she held them up for him to take. Yanking them from her hand and quickly pulling them on, he turned to her to glare at her, and though she couldn't see the glare, she knew he was giving it. She shrugged and urged him down the street.

"Hey, there's that chapel the kid said he was hiding out in," he pointed out, and Deirdra shoved past him to get a look.

There was a crowd at the entrance and a wagon just next to it. Two men came out of the chapel carrying a stretcher with a covered body and as it passed to be put onto the wagon, a few of the spectators crossed themselves. Deirdra's eyes widened when she realized who it might be and gripped Riddick's arm, making him look down at her.

"Kid didn't kill the Holy Man," he assured her as they continued past the scene. "Mercs probably did it to get the girl."

"Still…" Deirdra breathed, trailing off as she allowed herself to stare and he led her down the street. He suddenly stopped and she frowned as she turned to him. "What is it?"

"He went in here to make that call," he said, and walked toward the door to the building next to the chapel. "I can smell him."

Deirdra hurried after him when his arm slipped from her hands and when they entered the shop, they weren't greeted by the shop-keeper. It seemed empty, but they both smelled it. Death was thick in the air. They headed toward the counter and looked over it to find the round man that had let Fisher make the call lying on the floor in a drying pool of his own blood.

"They'll be over here in a second and find him," Riddick told Deirdra. "Get the money out of the register and any he might have in his pockets."

"Are you kidding me?" she snapped and he whirled around to stare her down.

"No, I'm not kidding, dammit!" he snarled. "Do it!"

Deirdra glared back at him but jumped over the counter to rummage through the dead man's pockets as Riddick leaned on the glass counter and watched her. He looked down at the display and frowned slightly at what he found.

"Damn kid," he muttered, making Deirdra pause and look up at him with a frown.

"What?" she asked, resuming her thievery.

"He didn't have any money on him so he had to trade his shivs for a call," Riddick replied, jumping over the counter as well. "These are his."

He pulled the shivs from under the counter as Deirdra stood to head to the register and he slid the knives into his boots, aligning them with the ones already there.

"There's some pretty good weaponry here," he complimented as he stood. "We should take some of these with us."

"Between the three of us, I think we have enough to be prepared for almost anything," Deirdra replied as Riddick examined the display under the glass counter and she shoved the money in the register into her pockets.

"Something's missing," he observed and she looked up at him with a frown.

"Missing?" she echoed, walking toward him to stand next to him.

"There was more in this display," he assumed. "It's not arranged right or something."

"What's it mean?" she wondered how it was relevant.

"I think the kid traded his shivs for something else," Riddick murmured. "Which means he's got more on him than he did before."

"Well, that helps us, right?" Deirdra guessed.

"Yeah, if he doesn't give it to his girlfriend to defend herself," he muttered and headed around her to walk around the counter and toward the door. "Come on, Girl."

Deirdra rolled her eyes and jumped over the counter again and once they were both out the door they headed as far away from the building as possible and stopped in an alley.

"We stock up on bandages, food and water, got it?" Riddick instructed her. "Nothing fancy, only the necessaries."

"Got it," Deirdra nodded and was about to walk out of the alley when he gripped her arm to look into her eyes again. "What?"

"_Lots_ of med kits, Deirdra," he advised. "Got it?"

She swallowed, realizing why he was telling her this and nodded. She knew as well as he did that by the time they got to Capernium, Fisher might be bad off. Deirdra knowing Olmstead, she was _sure_ he'd be horribly weak and hurt. Even if they went at warp speed the whole way, they'd be too late.

"Let's go," he ordered and she nodded as he gripped her hand and they headed back down the street to get what they needed.

* * *

_Meanwhile..._

Faith woke up not being able to breath. Her eyes shot open as a hand clapped over her mouth and nose, and she stared wide eyes at the man in front of her, a man she did _not_ want touching her…ever. Jared grinned evilly at her and she didn't wait another second before she started thrashing. He shoved her legs down by her knees when she started kicking, his hand still over her mouth as she jerked her head trying to free her mouth to scream.

"Please scream," he taunted, but didn't lower his hand. "Scream so I can kill your boyfriend. That kid is pissing me off."

That made Faith stop instantly and she bowed her head in defeat as he lowered his hand from her mouth. She cringed when the hand on her knees started slowly moving up one of her legs, and she kept them closed, but he managed to maneuver his hand between her thighs. She gave a small whimper when his mouth started at her neck and she prayed something…_anything_ would happen to get him to stop.

"Son of a bitch merc!"

A foot suddenly appeared between his legs, making Jared grunt in pain and let go of Faith as she gasped. The foot hooked his groin and yanked back to pull Jared away from her, sending him face down onto the metal floor as Faith stared ahead at her savior who was seething as he stared down at the merc.

"Touch her again and you'll never be able to think with your dick again!" Fisher snarled, yanking on his chains as Jared stood. The merc roared in rage and pulled out a knife from his belt to put it to the boy's throat.

"If you weren't worth some money I'd kill you now," he snarled. "But I already know Olmstead's gonna make you wish you'd never been born. You'll _pay_ for being a pain in the goddamn ass, kid."

"Hey, Jared!" one of the other mercs called, drawing his attention to the pilot's seat. "We're at the drop spot."

* * *

**A/N:** what is it with me and the attempted violation scenes? oh well. reviews?


	6. Olmstead

**A/N:** new chappie! enjoy!

* * *

_**Chapter 6: Olmstead**_

"Thank _God_ we can finally get this kid outta here!" Jared growled, standing with Fisher on the gangplank, the ship they were on hovering above the ground, Fisher's hands chained behind his back. He stood Fisher just at the end and kicked him in the back, sending him off the ship and onto the ground where the slaves they'd collected for Olmstead stood below. The boy landed on his back and groaned at the pain as he heard Jared laugh while the gangplank rose and the ship flew off.

"Fisher!" Faith gasped in horror as he writhed in pain on the ground and she hurried to kneel next to him, her own hands bound in front of her.

"I'm alright," he groaned still moving on the ground. "Just…gotta…"

Faith frowned as maneuvered onto his side then pulled his knees toward his chest to pull himself into a ball and pull his arms around and below his feet to bring them in front of him. He sat up and shook his head as Faith sat next to him, the rest of the slaves sitting as well to wait for another ship to pick them up.

"We're at the drop point where Olmstead will pick us up," Faith reported. "From here it's a day's ride to Capernium."

"What planet are we on?" Fisher asked, pulling his knee up so he could reach his boot.

"I don't know," she admitted, frowning at him. "What are you doing?"

"I'm gonna unlock my chains, figure out a way off the cliff those damned mercs left us on then get us outta here," he replied, reaching for his little lock-pick, but Faith placed a hand over his, making him freeze and look up at her.

"Please, don't," she murmured and he frowned at her this time.

"What the hell do you mean, 'don't'?" he spat. "That Olmstead guy is gonna come and pick us up, probably rape you once we get to Capernium, and you're telling me 'don't'? What kind of shit are you high on?"

"If Olmstead catches us running away, he'll do more than threaten us when he catches us," she shot back. "Right now, it's best to give in. Your friends will think we've been taken to Capernium, and if they go there, risking their lives only to find out we're not there, they could be killed."

"Clearly you don't know Riddick very well, sweetheart," he muttered, moving his hand from his boot as she pulled her hand from his.

"Even so," she continued, "we shouldn't risk our lives and theirs by trying to escape. I have faith in Riddick and Deirdra. Don't you?"

"Of course I do," he replied. "I just hate the fact that I got myself into this. I should at least _try_ to get us out of here, shouldn't I?"

"You did," she murmured, lifting her bound hands and placing her finger tips under his chin to lift his gaze to hers. "You tried, and I'm grateful for it, but we shouldn't press our luck."

Fisher nodded and sighed in agreement. She had a point. Faith's hands didn't leave his chin as he scanned his eyes over her face, his gaze landing on her lips.

"I'm hungry," he blurted, breathlessly and Faith frowned at him in confusion. "I want…strawberries."

Without another word he pressed his lips to hers, making her squeak in surprise, her eyes open wide, but she soon let them shut as she melted into the kiss, her hands gliding from his face to his chest as he shifted and lifted his arms up to wrap them around her, his hands still bound, without breaking the kiss. He chanced at running his tongue over her lips and she instantly parted them to allow him entrance to stroke her own tongue until she kissed him back. They slowly parted and gazed into each other's eyes.

"Mm," Fisher hummed, licking his lips with a grin as she smiled, shyly. "Thank you. I'm full now, for the moment."

"There's the ship!" one of the slaves called and they both turned their attention to the sky as a ship flew over them.

Fisher looked back at her and gently ordered, "Pull my goggles over my eyes."

"Why?" she wondered with a frown, her hands sliding up his chest and toward his goggles on his forehead to pull them down.

"Because I like you, and if they catch that look in my eye they'll use you against me, just like Jared did," he told her as she adjusted his goggles and when she lowered her hands he hugged her a little closer to murmur in her ear. "Nobody's gonna use you, Faith. I won't let what almost happened to you with that jackass happened again. I can't."

"But-"

"Don't argue, just trust me," he said, lifting his arms from around her and standing, then quickly helping her up. "When we get in there, if they try to say you're my girl, I'm gonna say you mean nothing to me so they don't hurt you to get to me. I just want you to know, I'll be lying when I say that."

"I know," Faith murmured, blushing as she nodded and he couldn't help but smile at her shyness as he lifted a hand to move some of her hair from her sky blue eyes.

"You're so cute, ya know that?" he smiled and she blushed deeper before her smile widened and she cast her eyes down.

"Here they come," one of the other slaves warned him and he whirled around to face the ship that had landed in front of the crowd of slaves.

"Stay behind me," he muttered to Faith over his shoulder. "Stay close to me. I have a feeling we'll be separated once we reach Capernium, but until then you stick close to me. Just try not to make it obvious."

Faith nodded, mutely, knowing he could see her out of the corner as his eyes and he turned back to the cargo ship as the gangplank lowered. Four men in black uniforms with pulsar guns came down the plank and two stood on either side, waiting for either orders or more men to come down the plank.

They all heard footsteps slowly stepping down the plank until they saw a tall, lean yet muscular man stroll down the plank. His dark amber eyes scanned over the prisoners as he set his square jaw, a scowl over his face, his light brown hair spiked dramatically above his head. He wore a dark grey shirt beneath black jacket and black pants with black combat boots on his feet. Fisher didn't need to be introduced. He knew just by looking at the dirt-bag that he was Lord Uri Olmstead.

"Load them up," was all he told the men on either side of them before he headed back into the ship.

The men on either side of the ship headed toward the group and ordered them to get onto the ship, tapping the ones that wouldn't move fast enough with their guns as a warning. Faith stayed behind Fisher as they trudged up the gangplank and Fisher glanced around the ship, being aware of his surroundings.

It was roomier than the merc cargo ship. Of course, he expected that from a deemed lord of Capernium. The seats lined on either side of the ship were about the same, but it seemed they were farther away from the cockpit, as if there were more to the ship between the cargo room and the cockpit. This intrigued him as to _what_ exactly was there.

He was jolted from his musings when one of the armed men shoved him into the seat next to him, and Faith gave a gasp as she was chained to the seat on the left of his. He looked at her and subtly shook his head and she gave an equally subtle nod as he was chained to his seat. Once the man chaining him to his seat moved away, Fisher looked ahead of him to see Olmstead standing in front of him, his hands behind his back as he stared down at him in evaluation, then glanced between the boy and Faith as he stepped toward Fisher.

"I was told about you," he stated in a low, sinister voice that sent a chill up Faith's spine, but Fisher was unfazed. If _Riddick_ didn't scare him, this guy wasn't going to either.

"That so?" Fisher retorted, leaning back in his seat, his hands bound between his knees this time with a short chain that ran between his ankles as well. "I hope you know what you're getting then."

"I think I'll enjoy working on you," Olmstead replied, a truly unholy smirk running over his lips. "You're a strong looking boy. But that won't last. In a few days, you'll beg me to kill you."

"You sure it won't be the other way around?" Fisher retorted with his own smirk as Faith tried not to look at either one of them.

"I was also told that you're Riddick's boy," Olmstead continued, ignoring his threat.

"I ain't his boy," Fisher replied, and Faith noticed the subtle sorrowful undertone but said nothing, and kept her eyes glued to her lap. "Riddick doesn't trouble himself with small fry like me."

"Then why is he coming for you?" Olmstead wondered, not believing the boy.

"Hell if I know," Fisher shrugged. "Maybe he's not. That girl of his might have talked him into it."

"Ah, yes," Olmstead hummed then hissed the last word as he grinned evilly, looking to the ceiling as if he was going over fond memories. Fisher frowned at the man, but said nothing and the next word that was almost purred made him straighten in his seat. "Deirdra."

_How the hell does this asshole know Dee?_ Fisher thought to himself, but still said nothing.

"I'll enjoy seeing her again," Olmstead continued, momentarily lost in the recollection. "It's been too long." He turned back to Fisher then looked at Faith and stepped toward her, slipping his hand under her chin to bring her gaze up to his as he murmured, "This lovely thing is said to be yours. I can see why you chose her. Such pretty eyes to get lost in."

"She's _not_ mine," Fisher spat, faking disgust as Faith shot her gaze to him in false disbelief and hurt. "That damn merc kept saying she was mine. She doesn't mean a damn thing to me. Although I _will_ say she'd be a nice piece of ass."

_Am I doing this too well?_ he thought to himself. _I hope Faith isn't really hurt. I can't stand her looking at me like that._

"And yet, you killed two mercs to save her," Olmstead continued, lowering his hand from Faith's chin so that she could gaze down at her lap. "And you tried to escape with her on Lupus Five, didn't you? You knocked out one merc to escape, and then when her honor was threatened by another, you defended her."

"First of all, I hate mercs," Fisher replied, leaning back in his seat again as Olmstead strolled to stand in front of him. "Second of all, I took her with me as a…relaxant, if ya know what I mean, and I think you do. Guy's gotta get _something_ after going through the stress of escaping, am I right?"

Olmstead stared down at the boy and scoffed before leaning toward him to be face to face with Fisher as he murmured, "You're a rather fine actor, Mr. Fisher. But even the finest of actors, when met with the right critics, can be seen though. I think you care a lot for this girl, otherwise you wouldn't go through such great pains to lie to me and deny her so adamantly."

"Boy, there were a lot of big words in that statement," Fisher smirked, mockingly. "_Someone's_ been educated."

"I think I'll enjoy working on her in front of you," Olmstead smirked, ignoring the insult as he stood tall. "I'll be sure to be gentle and attentive, so that she'll enjoy being with _me_ more than she ever would have being with _you_. _That_ will be your mental and emotional toil. The fact that you couldn't even have a _chance_ at pleasing your woman."

"Oh, you're just full of cheer and good tidings, aren't you?" Fisher shot back, trying to subdue the anger boiling his blood at this man talking like that about Faith. "Have your best shot. She put up a hell of a fight when I tried to get some of that. See this…" He lifted his chin to show off the bruise that Jared had left from hitting him with the gage. "Damn bitch _punched_ me."

"Don't try to play me the fool, young man," Olmstead replied. "I wasn't born yesterday. That bruise was made by the butt of a gage, not a fist. I can tell just by _looking_ at it. You have no idea who you're dealing with. So stop lying to me, you'll only make yourself look like a fool in front of the girl."

"Like she cares if I look like a fool," Fisher scoffed, trying to calm his rapidly beating heart. His heart was thumping in panic.

"Nevertheless," Olmstead continued, strolling toward the cockpit. "She seems like she'll be a delight to work on in front of you. I can just imagine all the emotions crossing those beautiful eyes of hers as I pleasure her more than an amateur like yourself ever could."

_Keep talking like that and I'll shiv you myself when Riddick gets me out you goddamn bastard!_ he shouted at the man in his head as he still strolled away. Once he'd disappeared Fisher looked at Faith who had her eyes glued to her lap.

"I'm so sorry," he murmured softly, making her look up at him and her appearance made his heart clench so tightly he could hardly breathe. She had been crying, silently the whole time. "Faith, I told you I didn't mean any of it."

"I know," she nodded, sniffling and wiping her tears away, her chain being long enough that she could do so. "Just the thought that man…"

She trailed off and Fisher leaned his head toward his hands to yank his goggles from his face then looked back at her so he could look her in the eyes.

"He's not gonna touch you, Faith," he growled, making her look up at him. "And if he tries to, you fight like hell to keep him off of you. I know you've got it in you to fight, and want you to let it out when he tries to touch you."

Faith gave a small nod and reached toward his hands to pull his goggles from his grip and place them over his eyes again.

"I know he already knows you care about me," she murmured, running her fingers over his cheek. "But we don't want him to read anymore than he already has, do we?"

"I don't just care about you, Faith," he blurted making her frown at him but he only continued, "I've known since I saw that asshole merc trying to hurt you. I love you, babe."

Faith's eyes widened and blushed but smiled and ran her finger tips over his lips as she replied, "I love you, too. But don't let _him_ know that."

* * *

_Meanwhile..._

"No."

"Why the hell not?"

"Because I don't wanna have to bring _you_ outta there battered and bloodied along with the kid."

"You won't. I can handle myself."

"You're gonna freeze when you see him and he's gonna mess you up."

"You don't know that."

"Dammit, Deirdra, quit arguing with me! You're turning me on!"

"Really?" she enunciated, giving a saucy smirk as she straddled him where he sat in the pilot's seat. "Then you'll let me fight him?"

"No," Riddick ground out, feeling the strain in his pants as she lowered her face to his and ran her lips over his, lightly.

"Why not?" she murmured against his lips, grinding against him and trying to break him down so he would give in and give her what she wanted.

"He'll kill you," he growled. "You're good, but you're not _that_ good. You'll freeze and he'll take you out, and I can't-"

He choked at the end and Deirdra froze as she straightened to look down at him with wide eyes, her hands on his shoulders.

"I can't…lose you," he mumbled, not looking at her. Deirdra stared at him with wide eyes then gave a small smile as tears welled in her eyes.

"Alright," she groaned, as if she was annoyed with arguing with him, knowing he didn't want what he'd said rubbed in his face. "I won't try to face him, but if you're in deep shit, I'm gonna save you, and there's no way you're gonna stop me."

Riddick was about to say something but Deirdra planted her lips to his when he looked up at her, kissing him deeply. He groaned and threw his arms around her as she ground her hips into him, eliciting moans from the both of them when she did.

"I don't wanna argue anymore, babe," she murmured when she pulled away from his lips. "I'm hot."

"I know," he growled and resumed kissing her even more passionately then she had kissed him.

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**A/N:** oh, dear. lol! reviews?


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